Fuel distributing mechanism



Jan. ll, 1938. J. H. |-cHTER 2,105,457

FUEL DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Original Filed March 2, 1932 ATTORNEY,

Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATE FUEL DISTRIBU'I'ING MECHANISM Delaware Application March 2,

1932, Serial No. 596,224

Renewed October 3, 1936 6 Claims.

This invention relates to fuel distributing means, for use in connection with mechanical stokers.

It is an object of the invention to provide fuel distributing means arranged to spread fuel uniformly and evenly over the entire rebed area of a reboX.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a iireboX with a riser conduit in communication with the firing opening in a wall thereof and through which opening fuel is delivered to pressure iuid blasts, said blasts being directed to discharge fuel of themselves to substantially all portions of the iirebed, and provide an auxiliary or second set of pressure fluid blasts to prevent packing of fuel in the upper end of the riser conduit and assist in moving fuel to the rst mentioned blasts and in discharging it into the iirebox.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a riser conduit in communication with the firing opening and through which fuel is forced to pressure iiuid blasts directed to scatter fuel of themselves to substantially al1 parts of the firebed, and provide an auxiliary set of fluid blasts rearward of the upwardly forced stream of fuel so the portion of the riser conduit adjacent the ring opening can be of decreased vertical dimensions whereby the Stoker will occupy a minimum part of the firing opening.

Further objects of the invention are to provide jet openings or holes drilled perpendicular to the forward face of a jet casting or nozzle member, provide means for eliminating clogging of the fluid blasts rearward of the upwardly forced stream of fuel, and provide a jet casting having a novel configuration and design.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description, and from the claims and drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of a locomotive illustrating the invention applied thereto with parts of the stoker and fuel distributing mechanism in section and other parts in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the nozzle member and shows the pipe lines leading thereto.

For the purpose of illustration my invention is shown as applied to a locomotive stoker, though it will become apparent as the description proceeds that its application is not necessarily so restricted, but may be used equally as well with other types of stokers. Throughout the speci iication, the term forward is employed to denote the general direction of the fuel as it passes through the stoker into the rebox.

A portion of a locomotive is designated generally at lil; at l i its boiler iirebox provided with grates l2, and a backhead i3 with a firing opening I4 therein.

The forward tubular conduit section or riser of a flexible conduit system of the Stoker is designated as l5 and extends from a point beneath and adjacent the cab deck I6 to the firing opening ill of the boiler. Fuel is delivered to the locomotive and forced forwardly and upwardly through the riser by suitable Stoker mechanism, not shown. The riser l5 is carried from the backhead I3 by a supporting bracket Il.

From its lower end the riser l5 extends upwardly and forwardly, flaring outwardly at its upper end, and communicates with the firing opening i4 through its laterally spreading and substantially horizontal mouth portion I8. The mouth portion i3 is provided with the flanges lil for attachment to the backhead by suitable fastening means, as by bolts, not shown. This mouth portion is formed with an upstanding wall 20 at each side thereof to which a distributor plate 2l is detachably connected by any suitable means, such as studs Lit. The distributor plate 2i forms an extended floor portion of the riser and extends through the firing opening into the rebox.

A nozzle 22 is mounted between the distributor plate 2| and an upright wall 23 which is offset rearwardly a comparatively short distance with respect to the upstanding walls 28 to form a recess in the mouth portion of the riser to receive the nozzle. The nozzle is provided on each side with a lug 2G, and studs 25 extending through these lugs secure the nozzle to the riser. In vertical longitudinal section the nozzle is of substantially L-shape, having a rear portion 25 fitted in the recess in the mouth portion of the riser and the other portion 2l lying upon and disposed above the top surface of the distributor plate. A plurality of L-shaped passages 28 are formed in the nozzle and pressure fluid such as steam is supplied to these passages by a desired number of pipe lines 29. The nozzle 22 is provided with horizontally directed jet openings 36 in its front face for emitting a fan-shaped blast of fluid across the distributor plate 2l. The front face of the nozzle is formed of a center face portion 3| and side face portions 32 and 33. Each of the face portions is straight and in plan view the side face portions 32 and 33 slope outwardly and rearwardly from the ends of the central face portion 3 I. The jet openings 30 are drilled substantially perpendicular to the face portions in which they are contained whereby the time required for the drilling operation during machining of the nozzle is less than that required when the jet openings are drilled on an angle with respect to the front face of the nozzle. I have discovered from actual experience that byV drilling the jet openings 30 perpendicularly to the side faces 32 and 33, the cutting action of the steam upon the jet openings is diminished, thereby prolonging the life of the nozzle 22. By the term cutting action I refer to the inherent qualities of steam to attack sharp, thin corners and wearing these corners to such an extent that the jet openings, after a short period of use, become oval in shape. This distortion in the shape of the jet nozzle seriously affects the proper distribution of coal. It is preferable that one or more jet openings be drilled in each of the angularly related face portions 3i, 32, and 33, and that the iet openings in each of the face portions be in communication with a passage or passages in the nozzle separate from the passages with which the jet openings in the other face portions communicate whereby the pressure of the fluid blasts issuing from the jet openings in each of the angularly related faceportions can be controlled independently.

The jet openings 38 are located in the firing opening between the inside and outside surfaces of the backhead, and the jet openings in the side face portions 33 and 33 of the nozzle are directed to discharge fuel of themselves to the` sides and rear portions of the rebox, without the necessity of deecting ribs. The riser conduit is provided withr a removable cover section 34, whereby access may be had to the interior of the riser conduit.

A transverse chamber 35 is formed in the upper portion of the rear wall 36 of the riser conduit on an elevation slightly above that of the top surfaces of the distributor plate 2| and nozzle 22. A pipe line 31 supplies a pressure fluid to the chamber 35 at the end thereof. A broad transverse row of jet holes 33 in communication with the chamber 35 is provided primarily to issue a fluid to impinge upon and move the fuel moving upwardly in the riser conduit over the top surface 39 of the nozzle and onto the distributor plate, in front of the jet openings 38, and the fluid blasts emitting from the jet openings 30 scatter the fuel over the rebed.

The top surface 39 of the nozzle slopes downwardly and forwardly from the rear end to the forward end of the nozzle and is disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the fuel moved by the fluid blasts from the jet holes 38. At the central portion of the nozzle and superimposed upon the top surface 39 thereof is a three sided pyramid shaped projection 4B designed to deflect a portion of the fuel that would normally be delivered into the range of the fluid blasts from the jet openings in the central face portion 3| into the range of the uid blasts from the jet openings in the side face portions 32 and 33 whereby the deilleoted fuel will be spread over the sides of theV firebed eliminating heavy fires in the center of the rebox.

The fluid blasts issuing from the jet holes 38 in addition to assuring a uniform ow of fuel to the main jet openings 36 discharge a part of the fuel over the side portions 4| of the distributor plate into the flrebox and a part of the fuel discharged into the firebox by the blasts from the jet holes 38 is directed by curved ribs 42 to the extreme rear corners of the iirebox.

'Ihe face 43y in which the jet `holes 38 are contained is offset rearwardly from the inside surface of the rear wall 36 of the riser conduit thereby forming a ledge 44 which maintains the fuel moving into the range of the blasts from the Vjet holes 38 forward of the face 43 thus preventing probable clogging of the jet holes` 38. Although the chamber 35, jet holes 38 and ledge V44 are shown as being formed in the riser conduit it is apparent that any or all of these elements may be contained in one or more separate parts secured to the riser.

Were the rear jet holes 38 not provided, it

kwouldY be necessary to force the fuel forwardly and upwardly through the riser and forwardly through the horizontal mouth portion l to the jet openings 30. Since the jet openings 33 are positioned in the firebox the fuel would be forced forwardly through the mouth portion i8 a distance greater than would be the case if the jet openings 3!) were located outside the rebox whereby packing of the fuel would occur in the upper end of the riser, The provision of blasts at the rear of the upwardly moving stream o'f fuel, in addition to assuring uniform delivery to the main or forward blasts, prevents accumulation and packing of fuel in the upper end of the riser.

Another advantage secured by provision of the rear jet holes 38 is that the top wall 45 can be at and the height of the mouth portion i8 will be a minimum whereby the delivery end of the riser occupies a relatively small portion of the ring opening. l

In operation fuel is delivered upwardly through the riser conduit into the range of the fluid blasts issuing from the rear jet holes 38 which move the fuel forwardly uniformly into the blasts from the forward jet openings 38 and the last mentioned blasts discharge it over the distributor plate 2| to all portions of the firebed. A part of the fuel that would normally be deposited in the center of the rebox is deflected in its course by the projection 4U and spread over the sides of the flrebox. Some of the fuel moved forward by the rear blasts passes over` the side4 portions 4l of the distributor plate into the'rebox and a part of the fuel passing over the side portions 4l strikes the ribs 42 on the distributor table and is directed to the extreme rear corners of the rebox.

It is apparent that I have provided novel fuel distributing means that functions efficiently to distribute fuel evenly and uniformly over all parts of the firebed area and will obtain the other objects set forth.

1. As a new article of manufacture, an integral cast metal fuel distributor nozzle having a fluid admission end and a fluid emission end, jet openings in the last named end of said nozzle, said nozzle having a top surface above the plane of said jet openings forming a support for the fuel passing thereover, and a fuel directing projection on said top surface extending from the fluid admission to the iluid emission end of said nozzle, said fuel directing projection including a pair of Yinclined'faces intersecting in a plane vvertically bisecting the nozzle in the direction of flow and extending laterally a greater distance atthe vfluid.

emission end of said nozzle than at the uid admission end thereof, that portion of said top surface which extends laterally of said fuel directing projection being at and uninterrupted.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an integral cast metal fuel distributor nozzle having a fluid admission end and a fluid emission end, jet openings in the last named end of said nozzle, said nozzle having a top surface above the plane of said jet openings forming a support for the fuel passing thereover, and a fuel directing projection on said top surface, said fuel directing projection including a pair of inclined faces intersecting in a plane vertically bisecting the nozzle in the direction of flow and extending laterally a greater distance at the fluid emission end of said nozzle than at the -,uid admission end thereof, said fuel directing projection being disposed a greater distance above said top surface at the uid emission end of said distributor nozzle than at the fluid admission end thereof, that portion of said top surface which extends laterally of said fuel directing projection being unobstructed.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an integral cast metal fuel distributor nozzle having fluid admitting openings and having a fluid emitting end including a central face portion and side face portions angularly related with said central face portion, jet openings in said central face portion and each of said side face portions, said nozzle having a top surface forming a support for the fuel passing thereover, and a fuel directing projection on said top surface, said fuel directing projection including a pair of inclined faces intersecting in a plane vertically bisecting the nozzle in the direction of flow, said inclined faces at the fluid emitting end of said distributor nozzle extending laterally to the extremities of said central face portion and gradually merging with said top surface at the opposite end of said distributor nozzle.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an integral cast metal fuel distributor nozzle having a fluid admission end and a fluid emission end, jet openings in the last named end of said nozzle, said nozzle having a top surface above the plane of said jet openings forming a support for the fuel passing thereover, and a fuel directing projection on said top surface extending from the fluid emission end of said nozzle to the fluid admission end thereof, said fuel directing projection including a pair of inclined faces intersectying in a plane vertically bisecting the nozzle in the direction of flow and extending laterally a greater distance at the fluid emission end of said nozzle than at the uid admission end thereof, that portion of said top surface which extends laterally of said fuel directing projection being fiat and uninterrupted and sloping downwardly.

5. In combination with a flrebox having a wall provided with a firing opening therein, a riser conduit outside the flrebox communicating at its forward end with said opening, said riser conduit arranged to receive fuel at a point below said ring opening and conduct the same upwardly toward said firing opening in substantially a core shaped mass, a distributor plate extending from the forward side of said riser conduit into said rebox forward of the named wall of the latter, a main set of jets adjacent the firing opening and disposed rearward of the forward terminus of said distributor plate arranged to sweep a blast of pressure fluid substantially across the distributor plate throughout the width thereof for projecting fuel into the rebox, and an auxiliary set of jets rearward of the main set of jets and disposed thereabove in a transverse row extending laterally beyond the respective end jets of said main set of jets, the auxiliary set of jets being directed forwardly in approximate parallel relation and arranged to sweep a blast of pressure iluid substantially across the width of said riser conduit downwardly at a slight angle toward said distributor plate and toward the main set of jets.

6. In combination with a rebox having a. wall provided with a firing opening therein, a riser conduit outside the rebox communicating at its forward end with said opening, said riser conduit arranged to receive fuel at a point below said firing opening and conduct the same upwardly toward said ring opening in substantially a core shaped mass, a distributor plate extending from the forward side of said riser conduit into said i'lrebox forward of the named Wall of the latter, a main set of jets adjacent the firing opening and disposed rearward of the forward terminus of said distributor plate arranged to sweep a blast of pressure fluid substantially across the distributor plate throughout the Width thereof for projecting fuel into the rebox, an auxiliary set of jets rearward of the main set of jets and disposed thereabove in a transverse row extending laterally beyond the respective end jets of said main set of jets, and fuel directing means intermediate the two sets of jets, the auxiliary set of jets being directed forwardly in approximate parallel relation and arranged to sweep a blast of pressure fluid substantially across the width of said riser conduit downwardly at a slight angle toward the main set of jets and toward the fuel directing means.

JOHN H. ICHTER. 

